Florida 500 Protections by equalityflorida

The Florida Five Hundred: Rights and Privileges Denied by the Marriage Ban in Florida By Cassondra Fredriksen1 As marriage equality spreads throughout the United States, more and more states are acting to ensure all same-sex couples are afforded the opportunity to marry with dignity. As the United States Supreme Court announced in the landmark Loving v. Virginia case, “[t]he freedom to marry is recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men.”2 It has been well documented and discussed that there are over one thousand one hundred federal rights that pertain to marriage.3 This statistic was even cited by the Supreme Court in its recent United States v. Windsor decision, the decision, in which the Court struck down the federal law that restricted marriage to oppositesex couples.4 Currently, the Florida Constitution prevents same-sex couples from getting married in the state and does not recognize such marriages performed in other states. This Article presents empirical research showing that there are over five hundred Florida state statutes that contain rights and privileges that pertain to marriage. Therefore, same-sex couples living in Florida are deprived not only of the right to get married, but also the vast array of federal and state benefits that pertain to marital status. This Article attempts to catalogue those Florida statutes that pertain to marriage and the vital personal rights that stem from marriage, including rights related to health, finance, business, property, familial recognition, and more. This Article was inspired by the 2004 U.S. GAO Defense of Marriage Act report critical to the Supreme Court’s considerations in overturning DOMA, which identified the one thousand thirty-eight federal statutes that confer benefits on the basis of martial status. While both the GAO report and this Article underestimate the discriminatory impact of the same-sex marriage ban, the staggering number of laws implicated in Florida, five hundred eight, only underscores the potential of this undocumented impact. The factual evidence of marriage inequality is written into statutes, and is undoubtedly manifest in countless ways throughout the State, and by extension, other state administrative regulations and agencies. Ultimately, the conclusion cannot be denied: A minority group of gay men and women who would be married in Florida, are categorically denied all of the rights and privileges that a majority group of heterosexual men and women are allowed through marriage. This amounts to nothing more than a blatant abuse of a majority’s power used to limit a minority’s rights. Through empirical research we have found that five hundred eight Florida statutes turn on marriage and the related definition of spouse. The breadth and reach of these statutes illustrates, in addition to the social stigma attached to being gay, that the exclusion of same-sex marriage in Florida has onerous discriminatory effects that creep into nearly every aspect of same-sex couples’ lives. At the end of this Article you will find mini summaries of the Florida statutes that relate to marriage, and a complete list of statutes at the end. Florida currently has a statute to deny legal recognition of same-sex marriage (here Florida DOMA) and the purpose is similar to the unconstitutional federal DOMA law, denying recognition in Florida of same-sex marriages recognized in any other jurisdiction:

J.D., expected Dec. 2014; the author wishes to thank Crystal Beard, Elizabeth Chantel Greene, Bradley Muhs, and Jacqueline Prats who helped compile the empirical research. Bradly and Jaqueline thank you for your thoughtful critiques and edits. A special thank you to Professor Joseph Morrissey, for his contributions to the article, as well as for being inspirational and a mentor throughout. 2 Loving v. Va., 388 U.S. 1, 12 (1967). 3 Marriage Equality USA, 1,138 Federal Rights, http://www.marriageequality.org/1-138-federal-rights (accessed Jan. 27, 2014). 4 U.S. v. Windsor, 133 S. Ct. 2675, 2688 (2013).

Marriages between persons of the same sex entered into in any jurisdiction, whether within or outside the State of Florida, the United States, or any other jurisdiction, either domestic or foreign, or any other place or location, or relationships between persons of the same sex which are treated as marriages in any jurisdiction, whether within or outside the State of Florida, the United States, or any other jurisdiction, either domestic or foreign, or any other place or location, are not recognized for any purpose in this state.5 This statute does not stand alone, because Florida also amended its constitution in 2008. 6 The constitutional amendment initiative started in 20057 and was ultimately approved as Amendment 2 by sixty-one and nine-tenths percent of voters.8 In its 2005 prognosticative holding of Wilson v. Ake,9 the Middle District of Florida laid out the current barriers to marriage rights for same-sex couples in Florida: “The legislatures of the individual states may decide to permit same-sex marriage or the Supreme Court may decide to overturn its precedent and strike down DOMA. But, until then, this Court is constrained to hold DOMA and Florida Statutes § 741.212 constitutionally valid.”10 While this decision did not set out a definitive roadmap to marriage equality in Florida, it did put forward the two most viable options for overcoming the Court’s constraints. Thus, it is an important opinion because the answer or remedy to the predicament of being “bound to follow the precedent established by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court”11 on the subject of same-sex marriage is specifically laid out; either change Florida law or wait for the United States Supreme Court to decide that DOMA is unconstitutional. In light of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning part of DOMA in Windsor, 12 one of those options has been partially fulfilled. In deciding Windsor, the United States Supreme Court utilized the 2004 United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) Defense of Marriage Act report, a study that identified one thousand thirty-eight federal statutes in which marital status was a factor in determining or receiving benefits, rights, and privileges.13 That GAO report served as the genesis for this Article’s empirical study of Florida statutes. While the GAO study captured the breadth by which a federal denial of the right to marry can impact couples, its analysis did not go beyond the federal level. The research behind this Article discovered and catalogued the five hundred eight Florida state statutes that further restrict the rights of same-sex couples in Florida. Many of these statutes have multiple provisions that have varying effects. This means that these five hundred eight actually represent the minimum number of restrictions, while in fact the actual number of restrictions is significantly higher. The following collection of Florida statutes is as complete and representative as can be produced by an electronic search of “Online Sunshine,” Florida’s Internet-based legislative database.14 The search terms used were “married,” “marriage,” “husband,” “wife,” and “spouse.” 15 The results were then

Id. Fla. Const. Amendment 2 Article 1 § 27 (2008). 7 Fla. Dept. St. Div. of Elections, Florida Marriage Protection Amendment, http://election.dos.state.fl.us/initiatives/ initdetail.asp?account=41550&seqnum=1 (accessed Jan. 29, 2014). 8 Fla. Dept. St. Div. of Elections, Official Results Constitutional Amendment, http://election.dos.state.fl.us/elections/ resultsarchive/DetailRpt.Asp?ELECTIONDATE=11/4/2008&RACE=A02&PARTY=&DIST=&GRP=&DATAMODE= (Nov. 4, 2008). 9 354 F.Supp.2d 1298 (M.D. Fla 2005). 10 Id. at 1309. 11 Id. 12 133 S. Ct. 2675. 13 U.S. Govt. Accountability Off., Defense of Marriage Act: Update to Prior Report, GAO-04-353R, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-04-353R (Jan. 23, 2004). 14 The Fla. Legis., Online Sunshine, http://www.leg.state.fl.us/ (accessed Jan. 6, 2014). 15 The term marriage is statutorily defined to mean “union between one man and one woman.” Fla. Stat. § 741.212(3) (2011). As such, none of these terms should have included erroneous results when looking for marital rights and privileges extended exclusively to opposite-sex couples. 6

reviewed manually to remove inapplicable matches. Examples of inapplicable matches are “husbandry,” “unmarried,” and “remarried.” There was no effort to capture every individual state program that may factor in either marital status or the varied implementation of these statutes through various agencies and various counties. Moreover, the research did not examine any of the administrative regulations existing in the state of Florida. Accordingly, there are undoubtedly many more laws in Florida that grant rights and privileges to married people that would thus be denied to same-sex couples. To reflect the organization of Florida law statutes, the results are grouped into the following sixteen categories. While this scheme is useful for organizing the hundreds of statutes on the list, it also benefits the reader by providing context to the extent of statutory provisions affected by marital status: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

Florida DOMA Business Campaigns and Public Officials Financial Disclosure and Conflict of Interest Crimes, Torts, and Family Violence Divorce and Marriage Employment and Benefits Guardianship Health Issues Insurance Parental Rights and Adoption Procedure and Evidentiary Rules Property Social and Economic Assistance State Civilian and Military Service Benefits Taxation, Stock, and Investments Trusts and Estates

In order to illustrate the depth and breadth of impact that martial status has amongst these laws, a general description of each category and an interesting example or two is presented below. A complete list of statutes in each category without summary or description is provided along side each description.

1. Florida DOMA Florida’s DOMA statute specifically denies recognition of same-sex marriages solemnized in other states, defines marriage as a union between a man and woman, and holds that only opposite-sex members of a couple can be spouses: Marriages between persons of the same sex entered into in any jurisdiction . . . either domestic or foreign . . . . The state, its agencies, and its political subdivisions may not give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding . . . or a claim arising from such a marriage or relationship. For purposes of interpreting any state statute or rule, the term “marriage” means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the term “spouse” applies only to a member of such a union.16 From this explicit language, a “husband” can only be a male married to a female, and a “wife” can only be a female married to a male. Therefore, references to husband or wife throughout Florida statutes necessarily exclude same-sex couples. 1.

Fla. Stat. § 741.212

Fla. Stat. § 741.212.

2. Business There are ten statutes grouped in this category, which touch upon commercial discrimination, procurement of personal property and services, corporations, alcoholic beverage and tobacco laws, and Florida’s version of the Uniform Commercial Code. For example, in the alcoholic beverage and tobacco statutes that allow a transfer of licenses, change of officers or directors, or transfer of interest, certain rights are reserved for “relatives,” which include an individual who is related to the licensee, [or the individual’s] husband or wife.”17 A rare example of a privilege being neutral in effect is Florida Statute § 607.0505, where a spousal communications privilege18 is waived when a business organization that may or may not be conducting business, but owns real estate, in Florida is required to designate a registered agent to accept service of process in the event the organization is sued.19 If the organization designates a spouse as a registered agent, all privileges that might otherwise attach to communications through the spousal privilege are waived and the duty to comply is not excused by virtue of any privilege or provision of law.20 In effect, this means that the spouse is compelled to cooperate with authorities in this situation and there is no special protection granted by spousal privilege. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Fla. Stat. § 287.0943 Fla. Stat. § 288.703 Fla. Stat. § 540.08 Fla. Stat. § 561.32

6. 7. 8. 9.

Fla. Stat. § 607.0302 Fla. Stat. § 607.0505 Fla. Stat. § 607.0901 Fla. Stat. § 617.0503

10. 11.

Fla. Stat. § 671.201 Fla. Stat. § 674.405

3. Campaigns and Public Officials Financial Disclosure and Conflict of Interest Of the eighteen total statutes in this category, the majority falls under the code of ethics for public officers and employees. These statutes include standards of conduct, prohibition against taking bribes, absentee ballots,21 campaign finance,22 disclosure of financial interests, and honoraria. Marital status can affect the way public officials are allowed to behave under the law. For example, the “Doing Business with One’s Agency” section turns on the officer’s spousal status: “No employee of an agency acting in . . . [an] official capacity . . . shall either directly or indirectly purchase, rent, or lease any realty, goods, or services . . . from any business entity of which . . . employee’s spouse or child is an officer, partner, director, or proprietor or in which such officer . . . has a material interest.”23 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

Fla. Stat. § 97.1031 Fla. Stat. § 101.62 Fla. Stat. § 101.6923 Fla. Stat. § 106.011 Fla. Stat. § 106.1405 Fla. Stat. § 112.312

18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

Fla. Stat. § 112.313 Fla. Stat. § 112.3145 Fla. Stat. § 112.3148 Fla. Stat. § 112.3149 Fla. Stat. § 112.3185 Fla. Stat. § 117.107

24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29.

Fla. Stat. § 119.07 Fla. Stat. § 119.071 Fla. Stat. § 189.4051 Fla. Stat. § 272.18 Fla. Stat. § 322.21 Fla. Stat. § 350.031

Fla. Stat. § 561.32 (2011). Fla. Stat. § 90.504 (2011) (providing that “married couples in Florida enjoy a communication privilege for keeping statements made to each other in confidence from the court”). 19 Fla. Stat. § 607.0505 (2011). 20 Id. 21 Fla. Stat. §§ 101.62, 101.6923 (2011). 22 Fla. Stat. §§ 106.011, 106.1405 (2011). 23 Fla. Stat. § 112.313 (2011). 18

4. Crimes, Torts, and Family Violence The crimes, torts, and family violence category broadly covers thirty statutes all the way from privileges of privacy in records and communications to domestic violence, bigamy, and criminal sentencing considerations to victim/intervener awards. The marital status of a party in a variety of different types of suits can have a huge impact on how the case is tried. For example, in the definitions for tort damages the term “survivors” means the decedent’s spouse, but not other adults even if they are partly or wholly dependent on the decedent for support or services, unless they are blood relatives or adoptive brothers and sisters.24 The term “survivor” is used in recovery for wrongful death, including the decedent’s estate, where “[e]ach survivor may recover the value of lost support and services from the date of the decedent’s injury to her or his death, with interest, and future loss of support and services from the date of death and reduced to present value.”25 Compounding the exclusion of gay survivors, the spousal status comes into play when “[t]he surviving spouse may also recover for loss of the decedent’s companionship and protection and for mental pain and suffering,” “[l]oss of earnings of the deceased,” and “[l]oss of the prospective net accumulations of an estate” may also be recovered.26 Another exclusionary example is found in the criminal victims’ assistance awards statute, which allows awards to a deceased victim or victim intervener’s “surviving spouse, parent or guardian, sibling, or child.”27 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

Fla. Stat. § 11.0431 Fla. Stat. § 39.204 Fla. Stat. § 39.901 Fla. Stat. § 393.135 Fla. Stat. § 394.4593 Fla. Stat. § 395.50 Fla. Stat. § 562.50 Fla. Stat. § 741.28 Fla. Stat. § 741.30 Fla. Stat. § 741.32 Fla. Stat. § 741.325

41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.

Fla. Stat. § 768.18 Fla. Stat. § 768.21 Fla. Stat. § 796.07 Fla. Stat. § 798.02 Fla. Stat. § 825.101 Fla. Stat. § 826.01 Fla. Stat. § 826.02 Fla. Stat. § 826.03 Fla. Stat. § 826.04 Fla. Stat. § 827.06

51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

Fla. Stat. § 856.04 Fla. Stat. § 872.04 Fla. Stat. § 901.15 Fla. Stat. § 916.1075 Fla. Stat. § 921.141 Fla. Stat. § 932.703 Fla. Stat. § 943.171 Fla. Stat. § 944.35 Fla. Stat. § 960.065 Fla. Stat. § 985.701

5. Divorce and Marriage Not surprisingly, this category reflects the impact to same-sex married couples’ lives not only in the recognition of marriage, but also in dissolution of marriage, child support, and time-sharing. In addition to the Florida DOMA statute above, the marriage license provision specifically requires that marriage licenses be issued only when “one party is a male and the other party is a female.”28 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73.

Fla. Stat. § 24.115 Fla. Stat. § 61.001 Fla. Stat. § 61.021 Fla. Stat. § 61.031 Fla. Stat. § 61.043 Fla. Stat. § 61.046 Fla. Stat. § 61.052 Fla. Stat. § 61.071 Fla. Stat. § 61.075 Fla. Stat. § 61.076 Fla. Stat. § 61.077 Fla. Stat. § 61.079 Fla. Stat. § 61.08

74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86.

Fla. Stat. § 61.09 Fla. Stat. § 61.10 Fla. Stat. § 61.122 Fla. Stat. § 61.13 Fla. Stat. § 61.13002 Fla. Stat. § 61.14 Fla. Stat. § 61.19 Fla. Stat. § 61.191 Fla. Stat. § 61.20 Fla. Stat. § 61.21 Fla. Stat. § 61.30 Fla. Stat. § 65.071 Fla. Stat. § 88.1011

Fla. Stat. § 768.18 (2011). Fla. Stat. § 768.21 (2011). 26 Id. 27 Fla. Stat. § 960.065 (2011). 28 Fla. Stat. § 741.04 (2011). 25

87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98.

Fla. Stat. § 741.01 Fla. Stat. § 741.0305 Fla. Stat. § 741.0306 Fla. Stat. § 741.04 Fla. Stat. § 741.0405 Fla. Stat. § 741.041 Fla. Stat. § 741.08 Fla. Stat. § 741.09 Fla. Stat. § 741.10 Fla. Stat. § 743.01 Fla. Stat. § 1002.20 Fla. Stat. § 1009.21

6. Employment and Benefits This category contains fifty statutes and includes rights and benefits within the Florida retirement system, workers compensation, and unemployment, as well pension funds for firefighters, police, and educators. One representative example of the impact of marital status on pension funds is if the spouse of any firefighter is killed in the line of duty, the surviving spouse does not lose the retirement benefits from his or her deceased spouse, even if the surviving spouse decides to remarry.29 Similar provisions also exist for police officers30 and educators.31 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117.

Fla. Stat. § 110.123 Fla. Stat. § 110.1232 Fla. Stat. § 110.221 Fla. Stat. § 112.1915 Fla. Stat. § 112.363 Fla. Stat. § 121.021 Fla. Stat. § 121.052 Fla. Stat. § 121.091 Fla. Stat. § 121.35 Fla. Stat. § 121.40 Fla. Stat. § 121.4501 Fla. Stat. § 121.591 Fla. Stat. § 122.02 Fla. Stat. § 122.03 Fla. Stat. § 122.08 Fla. Stat. § 122.34 Fla. Stat. § 175.061 Fla. Stat. § 175.181 Fla. Stat. § 175.333

118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136.

Fla. Stat. § 175.401 Fla. Stat. § 185.05 Fla. Stat. § 185.162 Fla. Stat. § 185.341 Fla. Stat. § 185.50 Fla. Stat. § 238.07 Fla. Stat. § 238.071 Fla. Stat. § 238.08 Fla. Stat. § 238.13 Fla. Stat. § 238.173 Fla. Stat. § 440.02 Fla. Stat. § 440.05 Fla. Stat. § 440.11 Fla. Stat. § 440. 13 Fla. Stat. § 440.151 Fla. Stat. § 440.16 Fla. Stat. § 440.20 Fla. Stat. § 443.051 Fla. Stat. § 443.101

137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154.

Fla. Stat. § 443.1216 Fla. Stat. § 443.1217 Fla. Stat. § 450.012 Fla. Stat. § 450.061 Fla. Stat. § 450.28 Fla. Stat. § 456.053 Fla. Stat. § 468.452 Fla. Stat. § 468.621 Fla. Stat. § 468.801 Fla. Stat. § 475.483 Fla. Stat. § 489.141 Fla. Stat. § 945.0311 Fla. Stat. § 1002.33 Fla. Stat. § 1002.34 Fla. Stat. § 1009.26 Fla. Stat. § 1012.61 Fla. Stat. § 1012.865 Fla. Stat. § 1012.875

7. Guardianship The purpose of guardianship is to promote public welfare by facilitating incapacitated persons’ full participation in meeting the essential requirements for their physical health and safety. 32 This is accomplished by protecting their rights and finances through providing the form of assistance that least interferes with the legal capacity of a person to act for him or herself.33 In matters of guardianship, the martial status of the guardian matters less than the marital status of the ward. To this end, if the ward has a spouse, that person becomes a top contender for guardian.34 Conversely, if the ward was gay and in a committed same-sex relationship it is implied that this safety net would consequently be lost. 155. 156. 157. 158.

Fla. Stat. § 744.301 Fla. Stat. § 744.309 Fla. Stat. § 744.312 Fla. Stat. § 744.3725

159. 160. 161. 162.

Fla. Stat. § 744.397 Fla. Stat. § 744.441 Fla. Stat. § 744.444 Fla. Stat. § 744.446

Fla. Stat. § 175.181 (2011). Fla. Stat. § 185.162 (2011). 31 Fla. Stat. § 238.08 (2011). 32 Fla. Stat. § 744.1012 (2011). 33 Id. 34 Fla. Stat. § 744.312 (2011). 30

163. 164. 165.

Fla. Stat. § 744.454 Fla. Stat. § 744.474 Fla. Stat. § 744.626

8. Health Issues The considerations within the health sphere span from mental health, substance abuse services, nursing home facilities, and health care advanced directives. One example of a vital impact that marital status has in this category is in admissions for substance abuse services. While individuals beyond blood relatives and spouses can complete the emergency involuntary admissions process specifically, “any other responsible adult who has personal knowledge of the person’s substance abuse impairment,”35 the more proactive process of non-emergency involuntary admissions is not a permissive.36 In fact, a same-sex spouse would be required to convince two other adults to petition with them for non-emergency involuntary admission of the impaired spouse: “If the respondent is an adult, a petition for involuntary treatment may be filed by the respondent’s spouse or guardian, any relative, a service provider, or any three adults who have personal knowledge of the respondent’s substance abuse impairment and his or her prior course of assessment and treatment.”37 Thus, the same-sex spouse who wants to help his or her spouse at a critical time, prior to an emergency, is unable to intervene independently as an opposite-sex spouse would. A large part of this category falls within the health care advanced directives provisions, which are designed to ensure a person’s fundamental right of self-determination regarding decisions about his or her own health, and plan for incapacity by executing a document or orally designating another person to direct the course of medical treatment in case of incapacity.38 Advanced directives do not exclude samesex couples; however, much of what is accomplished through advanced directives is granted by statute to a spouse.39 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. 176. 177. 178. 179. 180. 181.

182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. 193. 194. 195. 196. 197.

Fla. Stat. § 381.0041 Fla. Stat. § 381.0051 Fla. Stat. § 381.028 Fla. Stat. § 383.325 Fla. Stat. § 390.0111 Fla. Stat. § 390.01114 Fla. Stat. § 393.13 Fla. Stat. § 394.4597 Fla. Stat. § 394.4598 Fla. Stat. § 395.0162 Fla. Stat. § 395.3025 Fla. Stat. § 397.6791 Fla. Stat. § 397.6795 Fla. Stat. § 397.6811 Fla. Stat. § 397.6815 Fla. Stat. § 397.695

Fla. Stat. § 397.6955 Fla. Stat. § 397.702 Fla. Stat. § 400.021 Fla. Stat. § 400.022 Fla. Stat. § 400.051 Fla. Stat. § 400.141 Fla. Stat. § 400.145 Fla. Stat. § 400.162 Fla. Stat. § 400.191 Fla. Stat. § 400.302 Fla. Stat. § 400.462 Fla. Stat. § 400.902 Fla. Stat. § 400.9905 Fla. Stat. § 402.33 Fla. Stat. § 402.40 Fla. Stat. § 406.135

198. 199. 200. 201. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210. 211. 212. 213.

Fla. Stat. § 408.051 Fla. Stat. § 408.061 Fla. Stat. § 408.811 Fla. Stat. § 408.9091 Fla. Stat. § 456.061 Fla. Stat. § 465.017 Fla. Stat. § 765.104 Fla. Stat. § 765.202 Fla. Stat. § 765.204 Fla. Stat. § 765.302 Fla. Stat. § 765.401 Fla. Stat. § 765.512 Fla. Stat. § 765.517 Fla. Stat. § 766.102 Fla. Stat. § 766.103 Fla. Stat. § 766.104

Fla. Stat. § 397.6791 (2011). Fla. Stat. § 397.695 (2011). 37 Id. 38 Fla. Stat. § 765.102 (2011). 39 Lambda Legal, Tools for Protecting Your Health Care Wishes, http://www.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/ /ttp_your-health-care-wishes.pdf (Sept. 6, 2011). 36

9. Insurance The insurance statutes have provisions for everything from rates, structures, types, and holding companies to structured settlements. Not surprisingly, in recognized marriages spouses are automatic beneficiaries of each other’s assets.40 214. 215. 216. 217. 218. 219. 220. 221. 222. 223. 224. 225. 226.

Fla. Stat. § 627.602 Fla. Stat. § 627.641 Fla. Stat. § 627.6486 Fla. Stat. § 627.64872 Fla. Stat. § 627.651 Fla. Stat. § 627.6516 Fla. Stat. § 627.653 Fla. Stat. § 627.654 Fla. Stat. § 627.6551 Fla. Stat. § 627.656 Fla. Stat. § 627.65615 Fla. Stat. § 627.659 Fla. Stat. § 627.6675

227. 228. 229. 230. 231. 232. 233. 234. 235. 236. 237. 238. 239.

Fla. Stat. § 627.6692 Fla. Stat. § 627.6699 Fla. Stat. § 627.732 Fla. Stat. § 627.736 Fla. Stat. § 627.798 Fla. Stat. § 628.461 Fla. Stat. § 628.4615 Fla. Stat. § 629.401 Fla. Stat. § 629.4615 Fla. Stat. § 632.637 Fla. Stat. § 633.081 Fla. Stat. § 641.31 Fla. Stat. § 641.31072

240. 241. 242. 243. 244. 245. 246. 247. 248. 249. 250. 251. 252.

Fla. Stat. § 641.3922 Fla. Stat. § 651.011 Fla. Stat. § 651.055 Fla. Stat. § 624.4031 Fla. Stat. § 626.99287 Fla. Stat. § 626.99296 Fla. Stat. § 627.311 Fla. Stat. § 627.4235 Fla. Stat. § 627.4554 Fla. Stat. § 627.476 Fla. Stat. § 627.513 Fla. Stat. § 627.551 Fla. Stat. § 627.5575

10. Parental Rights and Adoption Currently in Florida, adoption by any gay person, regardless of marital status, is technically prohibited under Florida Statute § 63.042(3). However, the Third District Court of Appeals found “no rational basis for the statute”41 in Florida Department of Children & Families v. X.X.G., citing the equal protection guaranteed under Florida’s constitution.42 The X.X.G. case was decided in 2010, but did not go as far as to invalidate the law that prohibits gay people from adopting.43 One interesting example of the special dignity and privilege afforded through marriage is in paternity, when the registration of a child born to a couple who has not yet married is amended “as though the parents were married at the time of birth.”44 Also, gestational surrogacy is restricted to married couples only, consequently excluding gay people.45 However, traditional surrogacy is available to anyone.46 253. 254. 255. 256. 257. 258. 259. 260. 261.

Fla. Stat. § 39.503 Fla. Stat. § 39.803 Fla. Stat. § 61.401 Fla. Stat. § 63.042 Fla. Stat. § 63.062 Fla. Stat. § 63.063 Fla. Stat. § 63.064 Fla. Stat. § 63.082 Fla. Stat. § 63.088

262. 263. 264. 265. 266. 267. 268. 269.

Fla. Stat. § 63.089 Fla. Stat. § 63.112 Fla. Stat. § 63.122 Fla. Stat. § 63.172 Fla. Stat. § 382.002 Fla. Stat. § 382.003 Fla. Stat. § 382.013 Fla. Stat. § 382.015

See eg. Fla. Stat. § 627.311 (2011). 45 So. 3d 79, 81 (Fla. 3d Dist. App. 2010). 42 Fla. Const. art. I, § 2. 43 45 So. 3d at 79. 44 Fla. Stat. § 382.013 (2011). 45 Fla. Stat. §§ 741.15, 741.17 (2011). 46 Fla. Stat. § 63.213 (2011). 41

270. 271. 272. 273. 274. 275. 276. 277.

Fla. Stat. § 382.016 Fla. Stat. § 382.021 Fla. Stat. § 382.025 Fla. Stat. § 382.0255 Fla. Stat. § 742.091 Fla. Stat. § 742.11 Fla. Stat. § 742.15 Fla. Stat. § 742.17

11. Procedure and Evidentiary Rules Marital status creeps into considerations of joinder,47 jurisdiction,48 service of process,49 jury selection,50 and special communication privileges.51 For example there is a marital communication exception rule in Florida, called the “husband-wife privilege” that allows spouses to refuse to disclose communications in a court of law when the spouses intentionally made those communications in confidence to each other.52 278. 279. 280. 281. 282. 283.

Fla. Stat. § 45.061 Fla. Stat. § 46.031 Fla. Stat. § 47.081 Fla. Stat. § 48.031 Fla. Stat. § 48.193 Fla. Stat. § 49.011

284. 285. 286. 287. 288. 289.

Fla. Stat. § 49.021 Fla. Stat. § 56.29 Fla. Stat. § 61.533 Fla. Stat. § 68.07 Fla. Stat. § 69.021 Fla. Stat. § 88.3161

290. 291. 292. 293. 294.

Fla. Stat. § 90.4026 Fla. Stat. § 90.504 Fla. Stat. § 92.51 Fla. Stat. § 905.075 Fla. Stat. § 913.03

12. Property This is another large category, which spans topics ranging from motor vehicle53 and boat licensing54 to shared or common property.55 Purchasing and owning property in common is a marital privilege that protects surviving spouses in the event of death of the other spouse and allows for a presumption of equal apportionment of assets during divorce.56 295. 296. 297. 298. 299. 300. 301. 302. 303. 304.

Fla. Stat. § 319.21 Fla. Stat. § 319.22 Fla. Stat. § 319.235 Fla. Stat. § 319.28 Fla. Stat. § 320.0609 Fla. Stat. § 322.031 Fla. Stat. § 328.01 Fla. Stat. § 445.051 Fla. Stat. § 689.11 Fla. Stat. § 689.111

305. 306. 307. 308. 309. 310. 311. 312. 313. 314.

Fla. Stat. § 689.115 Fla. Stat. § 689.225 Fla. Stat. § 695.20 Fla. Stat. § 708.05 Fla. Stat. § 708.08 Fla. Stat. § 708.09 Fla. Stat. § 708.10 Fla. Stat. § 709.02 Fla. Stat. § 709.2112 Fla. Stat. § 709.2116

Fla. Stat. § 46.031 (2011). Fla. Stat. §§ 47.081, 48.193 (2011). 49 Fla. Stat. §§ 48.031, 49.011, 49.021 (2011). 50 Fla. Stat. §§ 905.075, 913.03 (2011). 51 Fla. Stat. § 90.504. 52 Id. 53 Fla. Stat. § 319.21 (2011). 54 Fla. Stat. § 322.031 (2011). 55 Fla. Stat. § 720.307 (2011). 56 Fla. Stat. § 61.075 (2011). 48

315. 316. 317. 318. 319. 320. 321. 322. 323.

Fla. Stat. § 710.102 Fla. Stat. § 711.501 Fla. Stat. § 711.509 Fla. Stat. § 713.12 Fla. Stat. § 720.305 Fla. Stat. § 720.3085 Fla. Stat. § 723.051 Fla. Stat. § 723.059 Fla. Stat. § 725.01

13. Social and Economic Assistance There are three main areas within this category: Medicaid, family self-sufficiency (programs like temporary cash assistance and food assistance) and Social Security. Medicaid is one of the largest social security programs in the country and acts as a joint state-federal program in which eligibility is determined by the states.57 While the Department of Health and Human Services guidance for these programs interprets federal statutes as allowing states to recognize marital status by either the state of residence or the state the ceremony was performed,58 Florida explicitly does not recognize same-sex marriages from any jurisdiction.59 Therefore, same-sex couples are not recognized for the purposes of Medicaid and would be treated as separate single adults. Under the current Social Security system, married couples are entitled to two different types of Social Security benefits: spousal benefits and survivor benefits. A spousal benefit allows a spouse with little or no social security earnings to receive a social security benefit up to one - half of their spouse’s full benefit . . . . In the case of the death of one spouse, a survivor benefit allows the surviving spouse to continue receiving a monthly payment that reflects the higher of the pair’s earnings.60 324. 325. 326. 327. 328. 329. 330. 331. 332.

333. 334. 335. 336. 337. 338. 339. 340. 341.

Fla. Stat. § 20.43 Fla. Stat. § 409.175 Fla. Stat. § 409.221 Fla. Stat. § 409.2554 Fla. Stat. § 409.2561 Fla. Stat. § 409.2563 Fla. Stat. § 409.9101 Fla. Stat. § 410.034 Fla. Stat. § 413.208

Fla. Stat. § 414.0252 Fla. Stat. § 414.095 Fla. Stat. § 415.102 Fla. Stat. § 415.1045 Fla. Stat. § 415.105 Fla. Stat. § 415.1051 Fla. Stat. § 420.633 Fla. Stat. § 425.03 Fla. Stat. § 425.1

342. 343. 344. 345. 346. 347. 348. 349. 350.

Fla. Stat. § 429.02 Fla. Stat. § 429.04 Fla. Stat. § 429.28 Fla. Stat. § 429.65 Fla. Stat. § 429.85 Fla. Stat. § 429.901 Fla. Stat. § 430.0402 Fla. Stat. § 430.071 Fla. Stat. § 984.03

Social Security Administration, Social Security Online - Medicaid Information, http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ disabilityresearch/wi/medicaid.htm (accessed Jan. 6, 2014). 58 Dept. of Health & Human Servs., Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service, SHO# 13-006, http:// www.medicaid.gov/Federal-Policy-Guidance/downloads/SHO-13-006.pdf (Sept. 27, 2013). 59 Fla. Stat. § 741.212. 60 Naomi G. Goldberg, The Impact of Inequality for Same-Sex Partners in Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans, http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Goldberg-Retirement-Plans-Report-Oct-2009.pdf (October 2009).

14. State Civilian and Military Service Benefits While this category does not contain the largest number of statutes, the same-sex couples in Florida who benefit most from the partial demise of DOMA may be state civilian and military service members.61 This is because the Department of Defense (DOD) recognizes “marriages that are valid in the place of celebration,” which means same-sex couples who marry in a state with marriage equality are recognized by the DOD, thus conferring all the benefits of marriage regardless of the state of citizenship.62 However, the benefits the DOD has extended to active military do not apply to veterans, because the state influences the eligibility for veterans’ benefits.63 351. 352. 353. 354. 355. 356. 357. 358. 359. 360. 361. 362. 363.

Fla. Stat. § 97.021 Fla. Stat. § 97.0535 Fla. Stat. § 101.123 Fla. Stat. § 101.6923 Fla. Stat. § 110.1227 Fla. Stat. § 112.19 Fla. Stat. § 112.191 Fla. Stat. § 112.193 Fla. Stat. § 112.3135 Fla. Stat. § 112.3143 Fla. Stat. § 112.362 Fla. Stat. § 205.171 Fla. Stat. § 250.5202

364. 365. 366. 367. 368. 369. 370. 371. 372. 373. 374. 375.

Fla. Stat. § 252.515 Fla. Stat. § 258.0145 Fla. Stat. § 287.17 Fla. Stat. § 288.987 Fla. Stat. § 292.11 Fla. Stat. § 295.01 Fla. Stat. § 295.02 Fla. Stat. § 295.065 Fla. Stat. § 295.07 Fla. Stat. § 295.13 Fla. Stat. § 295.187 Fla. Stat. § 324.021

376. 377. 378. 379. 380. 381. 382. 383. 384. 385. 386. 387.

Fla. Stat. § 373.324 Fla. Stat. § 401.271 Fla. Stat. § 404.056 Fla. Stat. § 445.055 Fla. Stat. § 455.02 Fla. Stat. § 456.024 Fla. Stat. § 464.009 Fla. Stat. § 464.022 Fla. Stat. § 468.309 Fla. Stat. § 497.168 Fla. Stat. § 695.031 Fla. Stat. § 1005.09

John Woodrow Cox & Stephen Nohlgren, Mixed Benefits of DOMA Decision for Gay Couples in Florida, http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/mixed-benefits-of-doma-decision-for-gay-couples-in-florida/2129314 (June 30, 2013). 62 Dept. of Defense, Memorandum for Secretaries of the Military Departments under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Subject: Extending Benefits to the Same-Sex Spouses of Military Members, http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2013/docs/Extending-Benefits-to-Same-Sex-Spouses-of-Military-Members.pdf (Aug. 13, 2013). 63 U.S. Dept. of Vet. Affairs, Health Benefits: Glossary, http://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/ resources/glossary.asp; path M/Medicaid (accessed Jan. 6, 2014).

15. Taxation, Stock, and Investments In this category there are far-reaching implications for same-sex married couples because, unlike other categories that may affect married couples only a few times in their lives, this category represents an ongoing, and often detrimental, financial impact. Although Florida does not collect personal income taxes, there are marriage-based tax implications for property ownership. For example, same-sex couples do not have the opportunity to utilize their marital status to transfer or share unlimited amounts of money during their lives to partners, free of gift tax;64 nor the opportunity to stretch out distributions from a qualified retirement plan or IRA after the death of the first spouse under more favorable rules than apply for non-spousal beneficiaries.65 388. 389. 390. 391. 392. 393. 394. 395. 396. 397. 398. 399. 400. 401. 402. 403. 404. 405. 406. 407. 408.

Fla. Stat. § 193.114 Fla. Stat. § 193.155 Fla. Stat. § 193.1554 Fla. Stat. § 193.703 Fla. Stat. § 196.011 Fla. Stat. § 196.012 Fla. Stat. § 196.061 Fla. Stat. § 196.081 Fla. Stat. § 196.091 Fla. Stat. § 196.173 Fla. Stat. § 196.1975 Fla. Stat. § 196.24 Fla. Stat. § 197.263 Fla. Stat. § 201.02 Fla. Stat. § 215.28 Fla. Stat. § 222.15 Fla. Stat. § 222.21 Fla. Stat. § 320.0609 Fla. Stat. § 320.072 Fla. Stat. § 320.08058 Fla. Stat. § 320.089

409. 410. 411. 412. 413. 414. 415. 416. 417. 418. 419. 420. 421. 422. 423. 424. 425. 426. 427. 428.

Fla. Stat. § 320.0894 Fla. Stat. § 320.3202 Fla. Stat. § 328.15 Fla. Stat. § 379.353 Fla. Stat. § 379.354 Fla. Stat. § 382.022 Fla. Stat. § 382.023 Fla. Stat. § 429.27 Fla. Stat. § 494.001 Fla. Stat. § 494.00125 Fla. Stat. § 496.409 Fla. Stat. § 496.410 Fla. Stat. § 497.005 Fla. Stat. § 497.458 Fla. Stat. § 499.012 Fla. Stat. § 501.022 Fla. Stat. § 501.1377 Fla. Stat. § 516.031 Fla. Stat. § 516.21 Fla. Stat. § 517.061

429. 430. 431. 432. 433. 434. 435. 436. 437. 438. 439. 440. 441. 442. 443. 444. 445. 446. 447. 448.

Fla. Stat. § 517.2015 Fla. Stat. § 518.112 Fla. Stat. § 520.9965 Fla. Stat. § 550.105 Fla. Stat. § 563.022 Fla. Stat. § 607.0902 Fla. Stat. § 626.9741 Fla. Stat. § 655.005 Fla. Stat. § 655.78 Fla. Stat. § 655.79 Fla. Stat. § 655.82 Fla. Stat. § 655.935 Fla. Stat. § 657.002 Fla. Stat. § 679.1021 Fla. Stat. § 679.2031 Fla. Stat. § 718.112 Fla. Stat. § 719.106 Fla. Stat. § 726.102 Fla. Stat. § 741.011 Fla. Stat. § 741.02

16. Trusts and Estates There are fifty-nine statutes in this category, reflecting the impact of marriage on not only matters in trusts, but also on probate matters such as intestate succession, wills, and property exemptions and allowances. For example, in intestate succession, when one spouse dies without a will, the other spouse is given at least half and up to all of a decedent’s estate.66 449. 450. 451. 452. 453. 454. 455. 456. 457. 458. 459. 460. 461. 462. 463. 464. 465. 466. 467. 468.

Fla. Stat. § 731.201 Fla. Stat. § 732.102 Fla. Stat. § 732.103 Fla. Stat. § 732.108 Fla. Stat. § 732.201 Fla. Stat. § 732.2025 Fla. Stat. § 732.2035 Fla. Stat. § 732.2045 Fla. Stat. § 732.2075 Fla. Stat. § 732.2085 Fla. Stat. § 732.2095 Fla. Stat. § 732.2105 Fla. Stat. § 732.2125 Fla. Stat. § 732.2135 Fla. Stat. § 732.2145 Fla. Stat. § 732.2155 Fla. Stat. § 732.217 Fla. Stat. § 732.218 Fla. Stat. § 732.219 Fla. Stat. § 732.221

469. 470. 471. 472. 473. 474. 475. 476. 477. 478. 479. 480. 481. 482. 483. 484. 485. 486. 487. 488.

Fla. Stat. § 732.222 Fla. Stat. § 732.223 Fla. Stat. § 732.225 Fla. Stat. § 732.227 Fla. Stat. § 732.301 Fla. Stat. § 732.401 Fla. Stat. § 732.4015 Fla. Stat. § 732.4017 Fla. Stat. § 732.402 Fla. Stat. § 732.403 Fla. Stat. § 732.507 Fla. Stat. § 732.702 Fla. Stat. § 732.703 Fla. Stat. § 732.805 Fla. Stat. § 733.101 Fla. Stat. § 733.301 Fla. Stat. § 733.304 Fla. Stat. § 733.504 Fla. Stat. § 733.604 Fla. Stat. § 733.610

Fla. Stat. § 61.075. Fla. Stat. §§ 122.08, 238.08 (2011). 66 Fla. Stat. § 732.102 (2011). 65

489. 490. 491. 492. 493. 494. 495. 496. 497. 498. 499. 500. 501. 502. 503. 504. 505. 506. 507. 508.

Fla. Stat. § 733.802 Fla. Stat. § 733.805 Fla. Stat. § 733.810 Fla. Stat. § 735.203 Fla. Stat. § 735.206 Fla. Stat. § 735.302 Fla. Stat. § 736.0306 Fla. Stat. § 736.0503 Fla. Stat. § 736.0505 Fla. Stat. § 736.0602 Fla. Stat. § 736.0802 Fla. Stat. § 736.0814 Fla. Stat. § 36.08147 Fla. Stat. § 736.0902 Fla. Stat. § 736.1010 Fla. Stat. § 736.1105 Fla. Stat. § 738.606 Fla. Stat. § 747.02 Fla. Stat. § 747.03 Fla. Stat. § 747.052